MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis College of Art Assistant Professor Haley Morris-Cafiero will open her exhibition, “Wait Watchers” next week in the Mallory/Wurtzburger Galleries of the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, 4339 Park Ave. An opening reception will be held this Thursday, Jan. 16 from 6-8 p.m. at the Dixon.

Morris-Cafiero began taking self-portraits three years ago, capturing images of people who appeared to be critical of her body type. She called the collection “Wait Watchers” and hoped to start a conversation about judging people by their appearance. In February 2013, photos from the collection were featured in a blog. The next day, Huffington Post wrote an article profiling her work and from there, the photos went viral, being featured in over 40 articles world-wide including Salon.com, Marie Claire South Africa, fotoMagazin, and DailyMail UK. She has been interviewed on CBS This Morning, NPR and Huffington Post Live.

In a world obsessed with appearance and fending off an “obesity epidemic,” Morris-Cafiero’s work touched a nerve. As she explained in her article for Salon.com, “I was interested in capturing something I already knew firsthand: if the large women in historical art pieces were walking around today, they would be scorned and ridiculed.” (Salon.com, April 23, 2013).

In addition to her exhibition at the Dixon, Morris-Cafiero is also slated for shows at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Boston, Mass. and The Newspace Center for Photography in Portland, Ore. in 2014.

Morris-Cafiero has also been nominated for the prestigious Prix Pictet, the world’s leading prize in photography and sustainability, recognizing outstanding photography applied to confront the most pressing social and environmental challenges of today.

Memphis College of Art provides a rigorous curriculum in an intimate, diverse community to empower generations of leading artists, designers and educators to flourish professionally and contribute valuable ideas to society. The region’s only independent art and design college, MCA is fully accredited with expert, nationally renowned faculty and grants BFA, MFA, MA in Art Education and MA in Teaching degrees with graduates excelling in various careers across the country and internationally. For more information, visit mca.edu. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/memphiscollegeofart and on Twitter at @memphisart.